Automatic brake for railway-cars



- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A B. WILDMAN. AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 565,248.

Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

O-LWNCL, wasmumon. n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

, (No Model.)

A. E. WILDMAN. AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 565,248. PatentedAug. 4, 1896.

wanes Aw gwue'nbov a. Qcmz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. WILDMAN, OF SELMA, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR RAILWAY-CARS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,248, dated August4, 1896.

A lication fil d November 11, 1895. Serial No. 568,642. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. WVILDMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Selma, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brakes forRailway-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic brakes forrailwaycars, and is especially adapted for trailer-cars onstreetrailways.

My invention consists in the constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of aportion of a car to which my improved device is shown attached. Fig. 2is a diagrammatic view in the nature of a plan view, showing theconnections between the motor-car and the trailer-car. Fig. 3 is aperspective View in detail of the coupling devices and some of theconnecting mechanism. Fig. at is a perspective view in detail of thebrake-operating lever.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral Views.

In the said drawings, (6 and a represent cars of any well-knownconstruction, I) the trackwheels; and b the axles of the same, thetrackwheels having adjacent thereto the usual brake-beams c, suppliedwith the usual brakeshoes 0, and the cars are further provided at eachend with draw-bars d (I, through the medium of which the cars areadapted to be connected together in the usual manner.

Pivoted on the bottom of each car, preferably about central between therespective aXles, is a lever 0 connected on opposite sides of itspivoted center by any suitable connecting devices 0 to the respectivebrake-beams. From opposite ends of this brake-lever a there extendsuitable connecting devices,such as rods or chains 0 which are connectedat their remaining ends to pivotedlevers c preferably near therespective ends of the car. These levers 0 being in turn pivotallyconnected at their remaining or free ends to the draw-bars d d, theconnections being such that an inward movement of either of thedraw-bars operates through the connections thus described to draw thebrake-beams 0 toward the respective track-wheels, and thus set thebrakes. The result of this construc tion is that when two or more carsare connected together the brakes of the rear or trailer cars will beautomatically set whenever the conditions are such as will cause therear carsto run at an increased speed over the front or motor car, sothat the brakes will be automatically applied in descending grades orwhenever the speed of the motor-car is slackened, so as to cause therear cars to advance toward the same.

To provide simple and effective means for operating the brakes by hand,and, further, to prevent the brakes from being operated automaticallywhen desired, I preferably employ a brake-lever e, mounted on therespective platforms of the car and provided with the usual holding-pawland segment e 6 by means of which it may be held in different positions.This lever, which is pivoted above the platform, is projected throughthe same, and has thereon a segment 6 adapted to engage with a rack 61,formed on or connected to the draw-bar d, the construction being suchthat when the lever is held in engagement with said rack the brakes maybe operated by hand by moving the draw-bar in either direction. At thesame time if the lever is locked in any position the draw-bar will beprevented from operating the brakes automatically. Means, however, arefurther preferably provided by which the action of the brakes on thetrailer-car may be controlled by the operator on the motor-car, so thatthey may act automatically or be prevented from acting,as desired. Toaccomplish this, I employ a locking device by which the inward movementof the respective drawbars (Z is limited, so as to not set the brakeswhen so locked. This may be accomplished, as shown in Fig. 3, byconstructing the drawbar with a lug or projection 6Z2, adapted to beengaged by a spring-bolt 61 secured to a suitable portion of thecar-frame and connected by means of a bell-crank d and rod d to afoot-lever d on the operators floor or platform of the motor-car. Bythis construction the operator, by placing his foot on the foot-lever (1may look the draw-bars of the rear or trailer cars and thus prevent theoperation of the brakes when so desired, as, for

instance, in backing the train, the bell-crank,

d and the foot-lever (1 being pivoted to the framework or floor of thecar and platform, respectively, in any suitable manner; for example, asillustrated in To provide for throwing the hand-brakeoperating deviceout of use, I have preferably pivoted the hand-lever e in the end of alink a, which in turn is pivoted at its opposite end, as shown at 6 to apart of the platform or frame, the construction being such that bypulling upwardly on the lever until the pivoted points have passed thecenters the lever will be thrown upwardly, so as to disengage the rackof the draw-bar, as shown at the left or rear end of the car in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that other means may be employed for operating the brakesby hand, if desired, which shall be capable of being connected to thesame brake-operating mechanism and be capable of operation Withoutinterfering with the automatic operation of the brakes through themedium of the drawbars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with twoor more cars and their brake-operating mechanism, of a draw-barconnected to said mechanism so as to operate said brakes by an inwardmovement of said draw-bar, and a hand-brakeoperating device adapted tobe connected and disconnected to said brake mechanism, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination with two or more cars and the brake-operatingmechanism, movable draw-bars on said cars connected to said mechanism soas to operate the brakes by an illward movement of said draw-bars, alocking device for said draw-bars, and a connection from the lockingdevice of one car to an op- 4. The combination with a draw-bar hav ing arack connected thereto, and a pivoted hand-lever having a segment toengage said rack, means for holding said hand-lever in dififerentpositions of adjustment, and a connection from said draw-bar to thebrake mechanism of said car, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a draw-bar having a rack connected thereto, ahand-lever having a segment to engage said rack, said hand-lever beingpivoted in a movable sup port so as to be withdrawn from engagement withsaid rack, and a connection from said draw-bar to the brake mechanism,substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a car and its draw-bar, a brake mechanismconnected to said draw-bar so as to be operated by the movement thereof,a locking device for looking said draw-bar against inward movement, asdescribed, and a hand-lever adapted to be connected or disconnected fromsaid drawbar, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 25th day ofOctober, A. D. 1895.

ARTHUR E. \VILDMAN.

\Vitn esses:

STEPHEN M. KELLEY, R. G. CALVERT.

